The nation's mayors send their ideas for Obama

Lima, OH
Pop. 40,081
David J. Berger, mayor
1. Establish a PERMANENT funding vehicle for the re-establishment of community oriented policing (COP). Our community was able to hire 10 officers when the Clinton administration created the previous program, and through the adoption of the philosophy of COP the Lima Police Dept. had a dramatically and documented positive effect on crime and quality of life issues in our neighborhoods. Once the federal funding expired (actually it was diverted to Homeland Security), our community was not able to sustain that level of manning and thus the initiative ended.
2. Commit funding for major infrastructure grants for water, wastewater, and transportation systems in local communities. We are being crushed by unfunded federal mandates and by the requirements to update and maintain existing infrastructure systems. Our community of 38,000 has well in excess of $100 million in such needs.

Maumee, OH
Pop. 15,237
Tim Wagener, mayor
I had actually asked candidate Obama personally at a campaign stop, not to ignore the big three automakers like his predecessor had for six years. So far it seems he was listening.
Obviously JOBs are the most important here in the Midwest!
Federal unfunded mandates kill states and cities!

Mount Vernon, OH
Pop. 15,900
Richard K. Mavis, mayor
1. Protect jobs in the United States.
2. Maintain Community Development Block Grant Program.

Newark, OH
Pop. 46,279
Bob Diebold, mayor
1. Remove energy products, (gasoline, diesel fuel, fuel oil, natural gas and coal) from the commodities markets. The drop in energy prices, specifically motor fuels, is NOT relative to consumption. Supply and demand balance is not as relevant with investors, driving the commodity prices on the market, thus escalating the consumer prices. This is a drag on the economy and consumer confidence. Continue to develop alternative energy sources by demonstrating with government buildings and vehicles.
2. We have lost many good paying jobs due to cheap foreign labor. Trade agreements need to be negotiated with our trading partners. The NAFTA treaty is not what I am referring to. Our overseas trading partners are utilizing nonexistent workforce regulations to exploit laborers and undermine our markets. Our standard of living should not be diminished. Others' should be enhanced.

North Olmsted, OH
Pop. 34,113
Thomas O'Grady, mayor
I am very active in the International Mayors for Peace organization, and will be traveling this month to Belgium and Switzerland to promote peace and a nuclear-free world. I will only offer one suggestion, because I believe that it is so important that all other matters are dwarfed in comparison. I would ask President-elect Obama to work toward 'Peace.' And by peace I do not mean merely the absence of war. We must work toward a true peace, which includes social peace and economic peace, both in our nation and in the world. I know that this is a big task, but I am re-energized by the wisdom of our voters in Ohio and throughout the U.S. It takes a great nation to elect a great president. On November 4th we proved that we are a great nation. I think that our next President will be up to the task of finding peace in our time.

Oxford, OH
Pop. 21,943
Prudence Z. Dana, mayor
1. Addressing health care is the most pressing economic issue for us as a city. Solving that will go a long way to making our city's budget work.
2. Infrastructure is the second issue, specifically: alternative modes of transportation!!!! Mass transportation. We need buses and trains to help us get to where we want to go efficiently and "greenly." This too will go a long way to helping our budget, as well as the issue of climate change!

South Euclid, OH
Pop. 23,537
Georgine Welo, mayor
1. How do you put America back to work?
2. How do we repair our Infrastructure in the core and first-ring communities?

Tallmadge, OH
Pop. 16,390
Christopher Grimm, mayor
The main issues I believe throughout Northeast Ohio are infrastructure and transportation.
1. Smaller communities are facing real problems with rebuilding our aging water, sewer and storm water infrastructures. If federal dollars became available, or zero interest loans, communities could begin to rebuild these systems and at the same time create jobs for those in our areas.
2. Our second area is transportation. Aging and abandoned rail lines in our communities only show how we have abandoned the idea of transportation from community to community by rail. A new system of high speed rail to get from Columbus to Cleveland through Akron in an hour would be great. Again this would create new jobs both in the construction and the operation of the system as well as reduce the number of cars on the state highway system.

Zanesville, OH
Pop. 25,586
Howard S. Zwelling, mayor
My concern is that the federal government quit cutting community development block grant funding. The current administration has cut it drastically, and there are still thousands of people in Appalachia that do not have water and sewer. I spoke personally on this subject with the president-elect when he was in Zanesville.

Oklahoma

Tulsa, OK
Pop. 384,000
Kathy Taylor, mayor
1. Transit funding. As gas prices remain high and the environmental issues continue, a significant investment in transit infrastructure is vital. President-elect Obama should make it a priority to provide cities funding to improve accessibility and reliability of transit (bus and rail).
2. Public Safety. With today's national economic issues, cities will see pressure on their budgets. There is a link between current economic conditions and increasing crime rates. President-elect Obama should provide funding of the COPS program, which would allow over 16,000 additional police officers on the streets. 42% of the cities are seeing increased crime as a result of the current economy. Tulsa's current staffing study would require $7-million to implement, and we are totally reliant on sales tax funding. Without federal help other city services will have to be cut to reach this goal.

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